lit*chick

here's what you're reading:

finished:

• Did I Expect Angels? by Kathryn Maughan
• Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
• Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts
• Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Piccoult
• Antiques Maul by Barbara Allan
• Going Loco by Lynn Truss
• Empress by Shan Sa
• Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortensen
• Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson
• The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold
• Harry Potter #7
• Consumption by Kevin Patterson
• The Sound of Butterflies by Rachael King

reading now:

• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by
• Loose Girl by Kerry Cohen
• A Thousand Splendid Suns  by Khaled Hosseini
• Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
• Persian Girls: A Memoir by Nahid Rachlin
• The Worst Thing I've Done by Ursula Hegi
• The Gathering by Anne Enright
• The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
• The Translator by Daoud Hari
• The Shaping of the Christian Family by Elisabeth Elliot
• The God of Animals by Aryn Kyle
• Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

next up:

• East of Eden by John Steinbeck
• Keeper and Kid by Edward Hardy
• Leftovers by Laura Wiess
• The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
• The Birth House by Ami McKay

What a fantastic array of books - a most impressive list :). I love that you all have a reading plan, even if it's short term - as in "this is my next book". Nice work.

My list has already changed...I finished Her Last Death and Madonnas of Leningrad, and am preparing to start The God of Animals and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

If you haven't already shared your past, present, and immediate future reads - go here. I'll add you to this list and take another roll call soon.

The End.

roll call

alright you lurking gals...time to 'fess up. and to my bookclub peeps, book blog peeps,SIStv peeps, cousin Trish, Aunt Carol, and anyone else who hasn't said hello in a while- here's your question for the day:

WHAT ARE YOU READING RIGHT NOW?

AND

WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU FINISHED?

I'll start.

I am reading Her Last Death: A Memoir by Susanna Sonnenberg right now and plan to pick it up again when I finish typing. There are a host of other books I have started reading that are stacked on my nightstand. But you already knew that.

The last book I finished was: The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears by Dinaw Mengestu

Your turn.

The End.

Resolve to Read

Not an official resolution, let's call it an intention.

Here is the super loose, rough draft version of my 2008 reading plan. I did a quantity based goal (100 books) last year, this year I'm going for quality. I am compiling a list of specific titles and/or authors to read.  So far the list includes:

• Helene Hanff
• Agatha Christie
• Madeleine L'Engle
• PG Wodehouse
• Bridge of Sighs - Richard Russo
• What is the What - Dave Eggers
• Suite Francaise - Irene Nemirovsky
• The Yellow Lighted Bookshop - Lewis Busbee
• The Book Thief - Marcus Zusak
• The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
• The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
• The Whistling Season - Ivan Doig
• The Zookeeper's Wife - Diane Ackerman
• The Birth House - Ami Mckay

In the past, I have only tracked books I finished. This year, I want to record the titles of books I haven't finished.  Just to see my reasons (perhaps intellectual laziness?) for stopping.

I encourage you all to either set a reading goal whether it be making a list of 10 you absolutely must read, or trying to read 5 more than last year, or to read a classic each month. Whatever it may be, whenever you decide, please share it here.  I'll do my best to help you toward your goal and we'll have fun along the way. There may be prizes involved too - I love to give stuff away.

Speaking of which, please email me your bookswap list if you are interested in participating. I'll plan to post the list on Thursday.

In July 2007 I started this blog in order to share my passions for crafting, cooking, the kiddos, and most of all reading. Thanks for making these past few months so much fun and sharing little pieces of yourselves with me. It has been a pleasure to get to know people I never would have met otherwise. I look forward to meeting more of you in the coming year.

Happy New Year!!

The End.

Tie Up Loose bookEnds

There are a few books that I need to finish reading. These are books I started this year and just couldn't make it to the end for various reasons.

Excellent Women had to be returned to the library. I'm on the waiting list to get it back. Sure I could have bought it, but I am enjoying the battle between me and the only other person in Howard County reading this book.

Pretty Birds I still want to read but was not in the right frame of mind to read it. I felt the same way about watching Schindler's List, you kind of need to gear up for it. Miss Joni says yes to this one.

Intepreter of Maladies - I love short story collections. The only problem is that you can read a couple, then forget about picking it up again. That is the issue here.

Then We Came To The End - made the NY Times top TEN for 2007.

It read like a literary version of Office Space. I made it through the first 2 chapters, then had to give it back to Mr. Miller (the name of my local library branch). I think the hubs would enjoy this one so we may have to buy it. And I love the cover.

Are there any books you still need to finish (not out of guilt)?  Are there any you are glad you didn't finish?

The End.

100 books

I don't make new year's resolutions - big surprise, I know.

And while I keep a reading journal (more of a list with notes), I hadn't ever set any specific goals. Well, in 2007 I quietly endeavored to read 100 books. Just to see if I could. Just to see how much time finishing 100 books requires. A lot. And not, as it turns out.

Today the list ends at 92 and I am SO okay with it. Over the next few days I'll list the titles.

Part One:

1. Housekeeping vs the Dirt  - Nick Hornsby
2. Blue Water - A. Manette Ansay
3. Digging to America - Anne Tyler
4. Angel's Rest - Charles Davis*
5. An Alphabetical Life - Wendy Werris
6. Scoop - Rene Guteridge
7. PosterChild - Emily Rapp*
8. The Grace that Keeps this World - Tom Bailey*
9. Summer of My Amazing Luck - Miriam Toews
10. Gods in Alabama - Joshilyn Jackson
11. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian*
12. Family Tree - Barbara Delinsky
13. Window Across the River - Brian Morton
14. 90 Minutes in Heaven - Don Piper
15. Maisie Dobbs -  Jacqueline Winspear*
16. Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen*
17. I Feel Bad About My Neck - Nora Ephron
18. The Bright Forever - Lee Martin*
19. Little Children - Tom Perotta
20. In Cold Blood - Truman Capote*
21. The Sad Truth About Happiness - Anne Giardini
22. The Sidewalk Artist - Buonaguro
23. BlackGirl/White Girl - Joyce Carol Oates
24. Arlington Park - Rachel Cusk
25. Family & Other Accidents - Shari Golden
26. A Most Uncommon Degree of Popularity - Kathleen Gilles Siedel
27. Blowing My Cover: My Life as a CIA Spy - Lindsay Moran
28. The Post Birthday World - Lionel Shriver
29. The Space Between Us - Thrity Umrigar*
30. Grace Eventually - Anne Lamott

Those with the * I recommend.

I forgot to add The Bright Forever to my Favorites list.

I would avoid The Post Birthday World - not only is it long, it's pointless too.

If you have any questions about these books, email me.

The End.